Brussels, 19/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament has put down a question to the European Commission on possible breaches by Belgium of Directive 2004/38 on the right of free movement and residence for European citizens and of Regulation 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems among member states, which governs migrants' right to benefits, the group says in a press release.
The case in point concerns a European national who, after a 24-year professional career, has been expelled from Belgium on the basis, according to the Greens/EFA, of questionable interpretation of the 2004 directive. The European citizen at the centre of this allegation worked for over 23 years in Italy, then pursued his career in Belgium where, nine months later, he became redundant as a result of the collapse of the company for which he worked. Having paid unemployment insurance premiums for 24 years, he should have received benefits in Belgium. However, the country refused to pay on the grounds of a long period - five months - of unemployment, says the group, and the expulsion order was pronounced. Between 2010 and 2013, Belgium expelled almost 7,000 Europeans, including some who were in employment. (SP)